Design system team recruitment

As a company grows, it becomes increasingly important to establish a cohesive design system that can be used consistently across all teams and products. This not only helps to create a more cohesive brand identity, but it also makes it easier for designers and developers to work together, as they have a shared set of guidelines and resources to reference.

To create and maintain a successful design system, it's important to have a dedicated team in place. This team should consist of designers, developers, and possibly content strategists and researchers, depending on the size and needs of the company. In this blog post, we'll go over some best practices for recruiting design system staff and building a strong team.

1. Define the roles and responsibilities of the design system team

Before you begin the recruitment process, it's important to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the design system team. This will help you attract the right candidates and ensure that everyone on the team understands their role in the organization.

Some common roles on a design system team include:

• Design system lead: This person is responsible for overseeing the development and maintenance of the design system. They should have a strong understanding of design principles and be able to communicate effectively with both designers and developers.
• Designers: Designers on the design system team should have a strong understanding of design principles and be able to create high-quality visual designs. They should also be familiar with design tools such as Figma and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Developers: Developers on the design system team should have a strong understanding of web development principles and be proficient in at least one programming language (such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript). They should also be familiar with version control systems such as Git.
• Content strategists: Content strategists are responsible for developing and maintaining a consistent voice and tone across all products and teams. They should have a strong understanding of content strategy principles and be able to write clear, concise copy.
• Researchers: Researchers on the design system team are responsible for conducting user research to gather insights that can inform the design of the system. They should have a strong understanding of research methods and be able to analyze data and present findings to the team.

2. Consider the skills and experience needed for each role

Once you've defined the roles on the design system team, it's important to consider the skills and experience needed for each role. For example, a designer on the team should have a strong portfolio of design work, as well as experience working on design systems or style guides. A developer on the team should have experience building and maintaining web applications, as well as a strong understanding of web development principles.

It's also important to consider the type of experience needed for each role. For example, if you're looking to build a design system for a B2B company, it might be helpful to have team members with experience working on similar projects in the past. On the other hand, if you're building a design system for a consumer-facing product, it might be beneficial to have team members with experience in that industry.

3. Determine the size and structure of the design system team

The size and structure of the design system team will depend on the size and needs of your company. For smaller companies, a single design system lead and a few designers and developers may be sufficient. For larger companies, it might be necessary to have a more robust team that includes content strategists, researchers, and additional designers and developers.

It's also important to consider the level of involvement needed from other teams within the organization. For example, if the design system will be used by multiple product teams, it might be helpful to have representatives from those teams on the design system.